Kate wearing a Royal blue wraparound Issa dress at the official announcement of her engagement to Prince William

She has worn their elegant clothes to mark several historic occasions, including the announcement of her engagement to Prince William.

And when she stepped out in the (appropriately) Royal blue £385 wrap dress at St James' Palace on 16 November 2010 - now available in maternity style - Kate Middleton made British label Issa London internationally renowned.

So the Duchess of Cambridge must be thrilled that this beloved designer of hers is now opening their debut shop.

But perhaps not so delighted that the boutique will be situated in Japan: Kate will have to travel some 3640km from her Kensington Palace home should she wish to peruse their sales rack.

Having previously sold their wares only online or through department store concessions - Issa London will be opening a permanent outlet in Tokyo's Roppongi Hills shopping centre.

Camilla Al Fayed, chairman of Issa, whose fans also include Madonna and Eva Mendes, said: 'Japan is the gateway to Asia and we intend to expand into Hong Kong and China within the next few years. We will then become a truly global brand.'

Issa hosted a pop-up store in Mitsukoshi department store in Ginza, a Tokyo district, last year so has already formed strong connections with the country.

Kate has wornmany dresses from the fashion house, both before and after her wedding, and the brand is famed for its floaty, silky, demure wraparound style.

Kate in a customised electric blue Issa dress in October 2010, left, and in black entering the Goring hotel the night before her wedding, right

Kate on a last-minute shopping trip before her wedding wearing a black Issa wraparound dress

In a statement Al Fayed added: 'The response was
overwhelming and we knew our formula was the right one for Japan. What makes Issa popular in Japan is a love of our quirky
prints, our colour palette and elegant silhouettes.

'We work closely with
our partners to design collections that are on brand for Issa, but
culturally aligned to the Japanese consumer. Our other main focus is the Middle East. We expect to open a store in Kuwait by the end of the year,
with several more planned over the following four years.'

RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

Share

Issa have plans to open a flagship store in Sao Paolo, Brazil, at the end of the year, in the Cidade Jardim mall, which already houses luxury labels Prada and Louis Vuitton. The store will
honour the label's Brazilian heritage - Issa's Creative Director, Daniella Helayel, was raised in Rio.

A Tokyo city view from the top of the Roppongi Hills shopping centre in Tokyo where the Issa store will be located

Kate in two of Issa's summery dresses in 2007, both teamed with peep-toe shoes